P.11, THE CAIRNS FAMILY OF BONEO.
JAMES AND JANET CAIRNS.
James and Janet Cairns (nee Cunningham) lived in Stirlingshire, Scotland. Stirlingshire is south of the river Forth and east of Loch Lomond. Some local names appearing on papers held by members of the family who made the trip to Australia, are Clackmannon (sic), Blairbogie, Alva and Menstrey(sic?).

Three sons of James and Janet Cairns, Robert, David and Alexander and a daughter Elizabeth, all came to Victoria and eventually settled at Boneo.

When James wife Janet died in Scotland he remarried. His second wife was a woman of some wealth. Together they reared a second family who were step-brothers to Robert, David, Alexander and Elizabeth. Members of the second family also came out to Australia in the 1850's. In Scotland they owned the "Carron" Timber Mills and also ships of their own. They brought with them prefabricated houses, one of which was to be erected ready to accommodate Robert and Mary Cairns on their arrival in Melbourne.

ROBERT AND MARY CAIRNS.
...with their three sons, James 3,John 2, and Robert, an infant, sailed from Scotland, via Liverpool,on the sailing ship,"Europa", 1088 tons, under its Master, Hamilton Oliver, on the 17th June 1852. They arrived in Melbourne on 15th September of the same year.

....Robert's age is shown as 36 years and Mary's 35. No reason can be given for the advancement of the ages, but they do show a discrepancy with those recorded later on the death certificates. It is generally accepted by the descendants that the ages shown on the death certificates are more accurate.

.......On the arrival of the "Europa" at Port Phillip Heads, Robert Cairns found the ship bringing his step brothers, and their prefabricated houses, delayed just inside the Heads. After an exchange of greetings, the "Europa" proceeded on to Port Melbourne.

The delay to Robert's step brothers was only short term and they were soon reunited at Port Melbourne. Robert stayed on in Melbourne and assisted with the location and erection of the prefabricated houses in Prahran.

Robert's step brothers are said to have settled at Port Melbourne, establishing the Carron Timber Mill, which in later years became Sharp's Timber Co.

Elizabeth's death certificate shows that she was indeed the sister of Robert, David and Alexander Cairns. The curious thing is that she was born in 1814 and that Alexander was born in 1827. If Janet died during or soon after Alexander's birth, the first of the step brothers would have been born in 1828, making him only 24 or so on his arrival in Port Phillip Bay in 1852.

The reason for the delay inside the heads would have been a very thorough inspection by officials from the quarantine station which had been hastily transferred from Elwood in 1852 after the arrival of the fever ship (Ticondera?) Perhaps some passengers from the step-brothers' ship were infected and had to be taken ashore to the tents awaiting them on shore, no buildings having yet been erected.

As Elizabeth was born in 1814, the ages on the shipping list may have been the correct ones, not the ones given on death certificates. In 1852, Robert's age was given as 36 and Mary's as 35. In 1854, David's age was stated as 40 and his wife's as 36; Alex was said to be 35 and his wife 30.

The approximate birth year of each, as indicated by the shipping list, is given for each below, followed in brackets by the details supplied at the end of the book.
David Cairns c.1814(1821-1870.) Janet,nee Thompson c.1818 (1818-1880.)
Robert Cairns c.1816 (1820-1884.) Mary, nee Drysdale c.1817 (1828-1901.)
Alexander Cairns c.1819 (1827-1911.) Janet, nee Dalgleish c.1824 (1827-1898.)

Oliver and Sarah Wilson's ages were falsified on the passenger lists so they could qualify as bounty (assisted) passengers and Back Yard Bob's opponent in the shovel trouble at Rosebud, Robert Henry Adams, falsified the date of his father's marriage on his own wedding certificate so gentlewoman, Miss Hopcraft,would not discover that he was a b-st-rd. However the Cairns families were unassisted passengers and had no reason to lie.

To check the possibility of the shipping records being right,let's examine the age (based on the shipping records) of each wife at the birth of their last child:
David's Janet, (Rosebud Ted 1865), 47; Robert's Mary (Mary 1872), 55; Alexander's Janet(Walter 1870), 46.
To have a child at these ages would be most unusual today but these women would have been very healthy and would have had the birthing business down to a fine art after the previous 11, 10 and 9 (respectively) births.

Let's examine the ages of the husbands in the year of the birth of their first child. (Shipping list/Death Cert.)
David (James 1840)26/19; Robert (James 1848)32/28; Alex (James 1850)31/23.
David's details present the best case for preferring the shipping list ages.

ROBERT CAIRNS (1820-1884) was married in Menstrey, Scotland to MARY DRYSDALE (1828-1901.) Robert was buried at the cemetery on Alexander's grant at Boneo and Mary was buried at Rye. Mary's parents, who came out with them, settled on the other side of the bay and gave Drysdale its name. Mary Campbell, who came out with them in 1852, with Robert as her guardian and probably helping Mary with the children, later became a relative via the Edmonds family, her daughter and Walter's daughter both marrying into this family. Robert most likely bought his grant at Boneo at auction because this was before the days of selection as far as I know; selection was enabled by the Land Acts of the 1860's. Robert had intended farming but got into lime burning which proved so lucrative that he was able to help his brothers,David and Alexander to come out in 1854.

(Something I had intended to put into the GEORGE AND OLLIE JOHNSTONE journal. Robert obviously came with some money. Alex Johnstone stated that the limestone houses erected by Cairns family members were indicative of money. However the fact is that pioneers used the material that was most readily available, and limestone was common from Rosebud/Boneo to the Heads. Slab huts were more likely to be built in forest areas, and much of the Arthurs Seat timber disappeared for piers,sleepers, firewood etc so some limestone houses may have been built further east for want of timber. Slab buildings were not a sign of lower financial status, the McCrae Homestead being a good example.)

Robert, David and Alexander shared Little Scotland on the north east corner of Boneo and Browns Rd until in 1870, Alexander moved to his grant on the north west corner.Colin McLear recalled a visit to Little Scotland made by George McLear, accompanying his mother's business partner, hawker, Charles Graves (who sold Marysfield to her in 1860 to become a Shoreham storekeeper with over 300 acres in the parish of Flinders.) One of the flock of snowy-haired children complained,"Ae Cannae crruck a whee whup yet!" (P.98, A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA.)

Robert did later select some land in the parish of Fingal, 198 acres on the east side of Boneo Rd, in July 1871 and on it built Maroolaba in 1873.Give location details from p.map later!!!

THE IN-LAWS.
HYNES, LAWSON, RUSSELL, PATTERSON, WILSON, CAIN, BALDRY, BRENT, LAUGHTON, MORGAN, SYMONDS, MCLEAR, BOYD, HADDOW, BUCHER,
The family connections with the Hynes, Lawson and Morgan families probably took place outside the Peninsula; please make a comment if you have knowledge to the contrary. The Brent/Laughton/Walter Cairns connection is discussed in my GEORGE AND OLLIE JOHNSTONE journal. The reasons for the other connections, in terms of farm locations, employment etc. will be discussed in my future journal, CAIRNS LAND IN WANNAEUE AND FINGAL, MORNINGTON PENINSULA.
Colin McLear gives much genealogical detail in A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA. John McLear (1846-1918) who married David and Janets 7th child, Janet, was one of three professional fishermen at Dromana, his house being next to the Dromana Hotel. (See my journal PIONEERING NEIGHBOURS NEAR CARRIGG ST, DROMANA.) From Colins information, I have inserted the year of birth of each of John and Janets children. (Above.) Alex, son of David, probably took up a selection on the Carrum Swamp in the parish of Lyndhurst (north of Seaford Road) which would explain why the family called his wife Lyndhurst Lizzie.

WELL, THAT WAS QUICK! Lizzie was Eliza!
CLAIMS AGAINST SOLICITOR Judgments for £1,991 ADJOURNMENT SOUGHT
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Tuesday 6 October 1936 p 11 Article
... Eliza Cairns, aged 70 years, of Lyndhurst, widow, who claimed £1,601. In an iilllduvlt Mrs. Cairns sold ... Frederick Cairns, of Lyndhurst, farmer, adopted son of the lirst applicant. Ile claimed £300 money had und ... 443 words
Oops! I was a bit hasty there. I think Eliza was the widow of George Cairns, a pioneer of the parish of Lyndhurst, and one of the half brothers of Robert, David and Alexander.

I reckon this is our Alexander.Elizabeth would be Lyndhurst Lizzie and David's 8th child, born in 1856, would have been about 65 years old in 1920.

FORGAN (Cairns). - On September 19. at Melbourne, Leslie, loving f0ster-son of the late Elizabeth and Alexander Cairns, and loved brother- of Frederick Cairns. Maggie, Josephine, and Elsie Forgan, late of Lynd- hurst, aged 35 years.

It now seems that Eliza was Elizabeth and the widow of Alexander unless George had one son named Frederick as well.

On 21-9-1881, G.Cairns was granted crown allotment 121 in the parish of Lyndhurst, consisting of 199 acres and 24 perches. (The map may be viewed online by googling "Lyndhurst, County of Mornington".)With so many roads closed, it is difficult to determine its position but it seems to be at Melway 94 A12 with its north east corner at the bend in Springs Drain in 94 A 11, that drain forming its north west boundary and McMahens Rd and Riverbend Rd on the south and west.

Itellya is researching local history on the Mornington Peninsula and is willing to help family historians with information about the area between Somerville and Blairgowrie. He has extensive information about Henry Gomm of Somerville, Joseph Porta (Victoria's first bellows manufacturer) and Captain Adams of Rosebud.

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During our road tour, 91 year old Bill Huntley told me that Doug Cairns, who lived in Mornington, kept on asking Bill to sell "Seven Oaks" to him. This was Seven Oaks Farm, formerly Hinds', that part of 79A Balnarring bounded by Junction Rd, Craig Avon Lane and Bittern-Dromana Rd. Bill also said that Doug was a great friend of Arthur Boyd, the famous Australian artist who is the subject of one of my journals;the cottage in Rosebud Pde where Arthur commenced his career now has a heritage overlay. (Google SAVING A PIECE OF ROSEBUD HISTORY.)
Given that Alexander's grandson Douglas was probably born in the 1870's, Bill and Arthur Boyd's Douglas Cairns was probably his son or nephew.

A scrap of paper I nearly discarded had the following note on it, which I obviously obtained from the genealogy in this journal.
Emma Baldry married John, son of Alex Cairns.As John Cairns was born in 1852,they were probably married in about 1880. Emma may have been a daughter of John Baldry, a shire councillor much admired by his fellow councillors. (See my SHIRE OF FLINDERS journal.)

DEATH IN A PADDOCK.
FLINDERS, Monday.Yesterday Mr.John Baldry, of Main Creek, went on horseback into a paddock after some cattle, and as he did not return alarm was felt, and a search was made. To-day Mr. Baldry's body was discovered. He had apparently fallen from his horse. He was an old resident, and was formerly councillor and president of the shire of Flinders and Kangerong. A widow and grown-up family survive him.
(P.6, Argus, 7-7-1908.)

As the above does not mention the names of his wife and children and I have not found any family notices that do so, Emma might have been his niece but no brother was mentioned in the following excerpt from his obituary.

By this regretable accident the district loses a very old resident and pioneer. The deceased gentleman, who was 73 years of age, was a native of Suffolk, England. He secured the Crown grant of the land, which he held until his death, as far back as
1860, and immediately set himself the hard task of making a home in the bush, which entailed a considerable amount of hardship and hard work.
(P.3, Mornington and Dromana Standard, 11-7-1908.)Many of the details in the obituary were probably taken from the article AROUND FLINDERS, published in 1902, although I don't recall the destruction of their homestead on three occasions by fire being previously mentioned.

Details of the proximity of Cairns and Baldry land have not been included in the journal about land in the parishes of Wannaeue and Fingal because the Baldry land was in the parishes of Wannaeue and Flinders.

In 1900 Albert Baldry was assessed on 450 acres in the parish of Flinders and John on 161 acres in the parish of Wannaeue. I would assume that Albert was John's son and that John, being about 65 years old had decided to take things a bit more easily. I had only recorded Wannaeue assessments at the time,merely noting Albert's assessment out of interest. The 1899 assessments re Flinders were transcribed later and show that John Baldry had 145 acres and William Baldry 60 acres.

In 1909, Robert John Baldry had 170 acres (lot 30 of Barker's)and 186.75 acres (31 of Barker's); William Baldry had 145 acres and buildings, 57 acres (part 22b of B)and 191 acres (15 of A)in the parish of Flinders. Robert John Baldry called his farm "Houdenbek" ((P.3, Mornington Standard, 13-9-1919.)

One item unlikely to have been included in the Baldry folklore is this entry in the 1879 rates: John Baldry, yoeman,145 acres Dromana. The township of Dromana was actually on the west side of McCulloch St but by this time section 1 Kangerong,east of McCulloch St was also being referred to as Dromana, along with some properties across Boundary Rd such as "Gracefield". As well as establishing Gracefield in 1857,William Grace had received the grants for crown allotments 2, 3, 4 and 7 of section 1 Kangerong,described in 1865 as 160 acres of building land; in 1864 it had been described as 130 acres. This land was between the Esplanade and Palmerston Ave with c/a 2 to 4 between Arthur St and the west end of the Dromana footy ground; c/a 7 contains Seacombe and Williams Sts. Altogether it amounts to a total of 137 acres 2 roods and 6 perches.

Despite the locations of properties not being described,I know from long experience where most of them are,and it seems that John Baldry's 145 acres at Dromana consisted of the building land described above, and,if the acreage was actually 145 acres, about 8 acres of township blocks purchased from the grantees before William Grace turned his attentions to Rye, where his son in law, Patrick Sullivan built the Gracefield Hotel on William Grace's grants there (the site of the original part of the Rye hotel.)

THE BALDRY LAND.
Parish of Flinders.
22A of B, consisting of 145 acres 2 roods and 20 perches was granted to J.Baldry on 24-9-1879. 22B of A consisting of 56 acres 1 rood and 34 perches and granted to W.J.Baldry on 20-3-1914 adjoins the eastern boundary of 22A ,which has Main Creek as its western boundary.Both front Baldrys Rd. (Melway 254 F-G 8-9 for 22A and H 9 for 22B. The land was settled in the 1860's,not granted.

Parish of Wannaeue.
Crown allotment 8, consisting of 161 acres and 30 perches was granted to J.Baldry on 25-2-02 or 25-2-1862. It is shown on a Wannaeue map photo-lithographed in 1887 but not on one produced in 1879, so the grant must have been issued in 1902. Location:Fronting the west side of Baldrys Rd between the equestrian centre and Baldry Crossing,its north west corner adjoining the south west corner of the equestrian centre and the western boundary,parallel to Baldrys Rd, roughly following the tributary to Main Creek.(Melway 254 F 5.)

Proximity of Grants to Cairns Land.
The Baldry grants in Wannaeue and Flinders were virtually across Main Creek from each other. Rabbit inspector James Thompson Cairns was about 350 metres north along Baldrys Rd fronting the east side and had another 80 acres fronting the north side of Limestone Rd (now a walking track)-exact area shaded green in and near 254 C3.